Jacques Delors the former European Commission President has died aged 98. His daughter Martine Aubry, who is the Socialist mayor of the French city of Lille, said in a brief statement that he had died in his sleep on Wednesday morning (27 December) at his Paris home.

He has been described as the architect of the modern EU, serving from 1985 to 1995, and essentially laid the groundwork for the euro – the single European currency.

As a French Socialist, he was a firm believer in post-war integration. He became convinced that Europe had to create a strong economic union and more importantly, a market that existed without borders, so as to allow it to compete with the United States and Japan.

Nevertheless, his beliefs also made him a divisive figure and some political leaders, particularly Britain’s Margaret Thatcher, were deeply opposed to his ideas. To the then UK prime minister, he was seen as a symbol of Brussels meddling.

He continued to retain his federalist ideals right up to his final years, recently warning of the dangers of populism in Europe in the wake of Brexit.

Single market

In his time in office he helped create the single market which allowed the free movement of people, goods and services within Europe. In addition, he oversaw the creation of the Schengen agreement for travel and the Erasmus programme for student exchanges.

Education influenced by the war

He was born Jacques Lucien Jean Delors near the Place de la Bastille in the centre of Paris, on 20 July 1925 to a devoutly Catholic family. His schooling was constantly interrupted by events of the Second World War.

He had taken a place at the University of Strasbourg shortly after the Germans invaded, but was soon detained by the occupying troops.

He eventually earned a degree in economics and followed his father into a career at the central bank. The political views of his extended family ranged from ardently socialist to vehemently communist.

Minister in first socialist government

Delors was made chief adviser on social and cultural affairs to the Conservative Prime Minister, Jacques Chaban-Delmas, in 1969, before joining the Socialist party in 1971. In 1981, François Mitterrand’s victory in the presidential election represented a watershed in French politics.

Unable to resist a summons to join the first Socialist government of the Fifth Republic, he became Minister of Finance. 

50% increase in membership

He took up office at the EU in 1985, and straight away accelerated plans for a single European market.

He presided over a period of rapid enlargement, with the 10-member European Community growing initially to 12 in his first year, and then up to 15 in his final year, with the accession of Spain and Portugal first of all, followed by Sweden, Austria and Finland.

However, his whole time in the top post was defined by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany.

Battles with Mrs Thatcher

In the UK it will be his heated battles with the PM Margaret Thatcher that he will be most remembered for. In 1989, at which time her time was nearing an end, she called his ideas for economic and monetary union, absurd.

She said at the time: “A unified Europe will never come in my lifetime and I hope never at all.” Famously, the controversial British newspaper – The Sun, created what became a legendary headline backing Mrs Thatcher which read: “Up Yours, Delors!”

No concern with image

Describing himself once, Delors remarked: “I don’t hide, I make mistakes, and I lose my temper. I shall never be a great politician because I cannot get concerned about my image.”

Tributes

He served three terms as European Commission president, which is longer than anyone else. Current holder of the post, Ursula von der Leyen, made the comment that he was “a visionary who made our Europe stronger.”

French President Emmanuel Macron saluted his work and said he was an: “indefatigable artisan of our Europe”. He called him a “statesman with a French destiny” and added that: “his commitment, his ideals and his righteousness will always inspire us.”

Shaping the EU development

In the lifetime of the European Union, Delors was one of the most important figures in post-war Europe, with nobody doing more to shape its development.